REBROADCAST: 64. Peggie Fariss on 50 Years at Disney and Producing Spaceship Earth

Peggie Farris had a remarkable 50-year career at Disney.

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One thing I love about doing this podcast is hearing the wide range of stories about how Imagineers came to Disney and progressed through various roles there. Back in February, I really enjoyed the chance to talk with Peggie Fariss about her 50 years at Disney. It ranks up there with my favorite conversation on this show, so I’m excited to release it again during this holiday break in case you missed it.

Fariss did not plan to work for Disney. A part-time job on the Storybook Land Canal Boats in 1966 began a journey that led to a remarkable career. She aptly calls it an “accidental career”, and I can’t think of a better way to describe her experience. Fariss was my guest on the February 11, 2019 episode of The Tomorrow Society Podcast to discuss her work at Disney. She retired in 2016 and has so many interesting stories from a diverse career.

After working on the Canal Boats and at the Matterhorn, Fariss moved to Orlando for the opening of Walt Disney World. She also served as a show producer on the original Spaceship Earth, produced the Disney Galleries, helped secure attraction sponsorships, and managed Imagineering at Disneyland Paris. There is far too much to cover in a single podcast episode.

A Remarkable Disney Career

During this extensive conversation on Fariss’ Disney career in February, I spoke with her on the following topics:

How did she initially get started at Disneyland in 1966?
What interested Fariss about working at Walt Disney World during its early days in the 1970s?
How was the research put together to develop the story for Spaceship Earth?
What were some of the details that advisors helped to place into that attraction?
Why was the narration for Spaceship Earth changed to include Walter Cronkite?
What was it like to work in such a different environment at Disneyland Paris?

I loved having the chance to speak with Fariss about her diverse time working at Disney. Her stories were much different from the typical history that I know about the parks. It was also fascinating to hear about how Fariss learned new skills and moved into a leadership role.